Published: 2004 Theme: Love Conquers All Best for: 9 and older "It is a failure of courage, and worse yet, a failure of love to relinquish your dreams so easily...Each of us holds within his soul the ability to conquer sorrow, fear, and misery with charity, compassion, and wisdom…. You must find a way to use what your soul knows.” If ever there was a children's book that conveys the deeper meaning of the holiday, this is it. The power of faith in one's dreams, faith in oneself, and faith in goodness, pour out of every page of this book.

Published: 2001 Theme: The Power of Story Best for: 12 and up "Queen Emmeline glided up to her husband and laid her hand on his arm as Sylvie disappeared in the direction of page 6. She found a comfy spot on the left-hand margin beside the seventh paragraph and rested her head on 'grandiloquent,' the largest adjective in sight." Do you know a young teen who likes quirky books, with a touch of fantasy mixed with the metaphysical and psychological? If so...

Published: 2012 Theme: Folk Tales, Forgiveness Best for: 9 and up "Thomas and I like the happy villages the best, the ones where music can be found in the very sounds of bees buzzing or the mooing of cattle. The ones where laughter trickles from under the cottage doors like water over smooth rocks." If you and your children love folk tales, and particularly Celtic folklore, this children's book is a terrific find, a real gem...